Paul's Passing Thoughts

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Thanks,

Paul Dohse

Many are still scratching their heads because of my focus concerning the Furry Fandom, and that includes myself during the beginning of the research. But, research on the Furry Fandom has led me to a greater understanding of countercultures.

Countercultures are groups that reject cultural norms, but in many cases, this is the symptom of a greater problem: who is responsible for the cultural norms? Answer: people. Rejecting cultural norms is merely the result of having a problem with humanity itself. Philosophy is a focus of TANC Ministries, and this is a very philosophical subject.

So far, the book is leaning heavily towards identifying the Fandom as an anti-human counterculture, and many of my findings can be applied to philosophy across the board, or spectrum.

If you want to reject humanity and the norms it creates, would there be any better way than becoming an animal? Though becoming an animal, is, of course, impossible, the community norms of animals can be adopted as a lifestyle and a  means of rejecting humanity. These same elements can define many other anti-human ideologies.

Interestingly, and much touted in the Fandom, is the promotion of nonsensical gibberish. As an adolescent, I loved listening to 60s rock music, but could not stand to listen to musicians like the Beatles and the Monkeys talk. The conversations were always overly animated and nothing but annoying silliness. I believe this was a 60’s counterculture calling card that rejected human logic. Rejecting human seriousness and the “mundanes” (an idiom for humans) was a theme of the 60s counterculture promoted in comix magazines that were widely popular during that time.

I have heard many comments about the Super Bowl commercials this year and how they made no logical sense for humor value or anything else. I watched them, and took note of the fast paced animation and steroidal silliness. In other words, some sort of sound logic is no longer selling a product, but what someone remembers as a visual subjective experience and its attack on the senses.

There are a lot of dots to connect, but I believe anti-humanity ideologies need a lot more focus and study.

paul

We have been hit with a lot of news lately about tragedy visiting the rich and famous. Some are rich and famous for un-profound reasons while others enjoy riches and fame because of their profound impact on society and history.

In both cases, all of those involved speak of their endeavor to be right with God. Indeed, no matter what you have obtained in life, death levels the playing field, completely, and questions what the future holds. Everyone knows God holds the keys to life after death. The Bible states that God has implanted that truth in every individual and a denial of such is “suppressing the truth in unrighteousness.”

When you have it all, or the more you have, death has more to take away. Success only amplifies the eternity question. Some of the famous who have everything except a get-out-of-death–free card share their plan for meeting God, while others keep it private.

Evangelicals and church folk in general will be concerned with the doctrinal aspects of one’s plan for dealing with the death issue.  Church orthodoxy loves its pithy truisms like, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions” while being directly responsible for creating insurmountable barriers to finding the truth about salvation. All churches are the same; they would all love to have a monopoly on their version of the gospel and the power it would give them. There is no power like having power over someone’s eternal destiny.

Jesus acknowledged religion’s efforts in hiding the truth about salvation for its own gain. Church is particularly guilty of that. In response, He promised that those who seek will find. Curiously, this points to an individual seeking. Jesus wasn’t in the least bit impracticable; so, why wouldn’t He cut to the chase and tell seekers to find a local Baptist church? Especially since Baptists believe that John the baptist was the first Baptist pastor. I’m not kidding. How stupid is that? Even as a former rabid Baptist pastor, I laughed out loud when I heard it in a sermon. With that said, though I was doing a lot of LOL before LOL was cool, an honest seeking can be taking place in any given church or no church at all.

Motives do matter; for example, the thief on the cross wasn’t theologically savvy in the least and didn’t quote any Rabbis. By no means am I endorsing soteriological ignorance, but I do think we should consider the verse that states, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

I believe good doctrine enables people to find salvation easier, and leads to a more abundant entrance into God’s kingdom not infected with doubt. Nevertheless, God is  attentive to those fighting to overcome the obstacles of institutional religion.

But, when one is at death’s door, little is more important than the quality of the entrance.

paul

As human beings, we have desires of all kinds. In regard to some of those desires, society is a hindrance. If we are running late for work, a desire forms in our heart; a desire to arrive at work on time, and also, a desire to avoid repercussions for being late, but societal law calls for speed limits. Actually, this one event can lead to the formations of many desires; for example, a very strong desire for the car in front of you to move out of the left lane and into the right lane.

Desires often clash with societal norms and laws. The closest thing we can get to living out those desires without society objecting is a thing called, “fantasy.”

Suppose a culture announced the building of a new town with its own jurisdiction. Everyone in the culture is free to live there or not live there, it is purely a choice. The town is called Freedomville because there are no laws or cultural norms; everyone is free to live according to their own desires. The only law is the freedom to live out personal desires.

Initially, would the town be popular? What would be your thoughts about such a place?

paul